The image of the starry sky could be attractive to many people. Feelings of calm and a romantic atmosphere are just some of the experiences that the dark sky full of light points can easily transmit to us.

However, not everyone reacts positively to such stimuli. Far from spreading romance, the starry sky can trigger panic in some people. We will see below what this fear of the stars, which we know as siderophobia , is about.

What is siderophobia?

The word “sidereal” comes from the Latin “sidus”, which means heavenly body. As such, “sidereal” is a term that refers to everything related to the stars. In this sense, siderophobia is about an excessive fear of the celestial bodies, specifically an exacerbated fear of the stars .

Although it is not a clinical category described by specialists in psychology or psychiatry, the term “siderophobia” has recently been used to refer to a major fear of exposure to the starry sky, as well as some of the stimuli associated with it.

In other words, siderophobia in itself is not considered a disorder, but in any case it is an experience associated with a more complex symptomatology. Since the starry sky is a stimulus very difficult to avoid, siderophobia is not only related to the stars, but to other elements that accompany darkness and open spaces .

For the same reason, siderophobia can be considered as one of the experiences that add to the wider spectrum of phobias that are considered by specialists as a specific clinical situation. Among these spectra could be found, for example, agoraphobia.

Other star phobias

The stars are not the only celestial bodies that can cause excessive fear in some people. Being a fear enhanced by the elements that surround the heavenly bodies, other related phobias are the fear of the dark , known as scaptophobia or nictophobia; astrophobia, which includes the fear of any heavenly body; or meteorophobia, which is the specific fear of meteors.

Are the stars harmless?

A star is a luminous sphere composed mainly of hydrogen converted into helium, and held in the cosmos by the action of gravity. In very broad terms, it is from the reactions that take place inside stars that the main chemical elements are released, which in turn give rise to different particles. Subsequently, these particles allow the development of the different forms of life that exist on our planet.

Therefore, the stars are not in themselves dangerous but quite the opposite, they are part of the chemical activity that has allowed the existence of the universe . So, what could be some of the reasons why we might fear these luminous spheres?

Possible causes

As with other phobias, siderophobia can be caused by a series of individual learnings and perceptions that, when they come into contact with certain external stimuli, trigger significant discomfort.

Thus, fear of the stars can be generated by the individual meanings attributed to these heavenly bodies , as well as to the dark sky and the elements around it. In turn, these elements can be darkness, open spaces, the sensation of loneliness or danger, or a fear provoked by the knowledge we have acquired about the characteristics of the cosmos.

The knowledge mentioned above can also be linked with the idea of immensity, with the unknown, with the lack of control , or with some dangers related to the larger heavenly bodies.

All of the above is strongly fed by a lack of deep learning about the functioning of the cosmos, as well as by some types of science fiction present in movies or literature. Likewise, a person can develop an irrational fear of the stars because of some previous unpleasant experience, which has had a certain relationship with those stimuli and perceptions.

Symptoms

As it happens in other types of phobias, siderophobia can provoke physiological responses related to anxiety , such as nausea, sweating, dizziness, hyperventilation, cardiac agitation, choking sensation, dry mouth, etc. All of these are related to exposure, or the possibility of exposure, to the starry sky.

Treatment

While it is not considered a specific clinical picture, there is also no special treatment for siderophobia. Broadly speaking, the way to accompany or diminish the fear of the stars can follow the procedure used for other phobias. At the beginning it is important to determine if it is a specific fear, or related to a more extensive and complex symptomatology, such as the one that characterizes anxiety disorders.

The latter allows for work on the deeper emotional responses that may be affecting the person’s day-to-day life, beyond exposure to the starry sky . It also allows for the exploration of the meanings and learning related to the stimulus that causes fear, and in this sense, to generate coping and re-learning strategies in the face of such stimulus.

Bibliographic references:

  • Etymology of Sideral (2018). Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Available at http://etimologias.dechile.net/?sideral.
  • Isan, A. (2018). Why is it said that we are stardust? UNCOMO. Recovered August 27, 2018. Available at https://ocio.uncomo.com/articulo/por-que-se-dice-que-somos-polvo-de-estrellas-47701.html.
  • Siderophobia (2017). Common Phobias. Recovered 27 August 2018. Available at http://common-phobias.com/sidero/phobia.htm.
  • Siderophobia-Fear of stars (S/A). Phobia Source. Recovered August 27, 2018. Available at http://www.phobiasource.com/siderophobia-fear-of-stars/.